Sign and process of making the same.



R. HARDESTY.

SIGN AND PROCESS 0F MAKING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17| I9I6.

Parented Oct. 16, 19W.

Witwe/ao -Aiii proper alineinent by any citizen of the United preferably black EUDD HRDESTY, OF

SIGN .AND PROCESS 0F iin'ivvnn, ooiionano.

Maxine 'ma satan.

ildtid.

Application filed. March 17,

concern:

at l, Ruim Hannnsfrr, a States, and a resident of Denver, in the county of .Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Signs an Processes of Making the Same, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention is an improvement in signs and in the process of making the same. The object of the invention is the provision of a sign the reading portion of which may be conveniently varied and which shall be substantial in appearance, weather proof, readily legible, of low manufacturing cost, and substantially indestructible--thus rendering it especially adapted for use as street androad markers. To these ends the sign comprises a metallic base plate with die cut metallic letters welded thereto, the whole being suitably treated to protect To all 'whom t ma Be it known t all the parts from the action of the atmosphere and to render the lettering readily legible on a suitably contrasting background. Further and more detailed objects and advantages of my invention will later appear fromA this specication.

the single sheet of drawings accom panying this application and forming a part hereofv Figure l is a plan or face view of a sign made according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line li-B, Fig. "l, through a partly inished sign in which galvanized letters have been used;

Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2 of a sign in which untreated metallic letters have been used; and -Q Fig. l is a section similar to Fig. 3 through a finished sign.

Referring to the drawings, let 5 indicate the metallic plate which is to form the base plate of the sign. @n this base plate, which preferably is of black iron, the letters which are to form the sign are-assembled and held desired means, not shown. 'lihese letters are die cut and inay be of galvanized'iron as indicated in Fig. 2; or they may be of untreated metal, iron, as indicated in Figs. 3 and a. rl`he letters are then welded securely to the base'plate by the electric spot welding process; the fiat electrode being applied to the letter surface and the pointed or sharp one to the rear of the base plate. The surface of the letter is thus not marred and,

Specification of Letters Patent.

rasanten' oct. ie, aait.

1916. Serial No. 84,761.

in case that galvanized metal letters are employed, the galvanizing is not even destroyed. lndeiitations 6 made by the flow of the metal appear on the rear of the base plate but these are in such position as not to be visible on the reading side of the sign and therefore do not mar its appearance. The number of points of welding required is determined by the size and shape of the letters to be joined but a suticientnumber of points are selected so that the letters are very closely joined to the base plate. rl`his may be seen by cutting sections such as those shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4c; in which sections, cut through the line of demarcation between the plate and letters is scarcely distinguishable even at points remote from the welding spots. Tests for the removal of such letters will show that even with a tool it is scarcely possible to cut them olf and that when they do come a portion of the plate has been torn out or a part of the letter torn oft'. llt will therefore be clear that the union between the base plate and letters is so close as to render corrosive action of the atmosphere between them substantially impossible.

After the letters or other insignia which the sign is to bear are secured in place the entire sign is dipped lf, due to any bends 'or flaws in the plate or letters, the contact between them is not pei'- fect this coat of enamel 7 will eectually close any openings through which moisture might enter and will render rusting or electrolysis impossible.

The last step in the process is the coating of the letter faces with a sizing, allowing this to become tacky and then applying some metallic bronze 8 thereto--preferably aluminum bronze. When this last ceat is thoroughly dry there is produced a bright letter on the markedly contrasting back ground of enamel-which latter is preferably black.

The die cut letters may conveniently be carried 'in stock in the various sizes required and signs, such as street markers, requiring an extensive variation in lettering may be readily madethus constituting a great iniproveinent over cast iro-n signs where new inolds must be made for every variation. My sign, in which the letters are practically integral with the plate and therefore iinpossible of being torn or broken therefrom.,

also is'obviously an improvement over similar devices in which letters are screwed or a partially finished sign,

in enamel and baked.l

riveted to the base plate., The sign described in this application is also superior to an embossed sign in that the latter must be made of relatively thin metal and therefore lacks the substantial qualities of a si made by my method-in which the base plate employed may be of any desired thickness to give the desired ri gldity and permanence.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The herein described process of sign making, consisting in assembling metallic letters in proper relation -on a metallic plate,

electrically spot Welding the letters and plate firmly together, dipping the .lettered plate in an enameling bath, baklng the enamel, and applying a contrasting metallic paint to the faces of the letters.

2. As an article of manufacture, a sign comprising a metallic base plate, die cut metallic letters electrically spot Welded thereto,

exposed surface of the letters, and a metallic paint applied to the enameled faces of the letters.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a sign comprising a metal base plate and relatively thin fiat metal characters spot-Welded thereto, the exposed surface of said characters being unmarred 'by the Weld, in combination with a continuous adherent layer of enamel covering the exposed surface of said' plate and characters.

In y testimony whereof I have hereunto aixed my signature.

. RUDD HARDESTY. 

